


Dragon's Blood

by ginnekomiko



Category: Pocket Monsters: Red & Green & Blue & Yellow | Pokemon Red Green Blue Yellow Versions
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2014-11-16
Packaged: 2018-02-25 15:40:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 6,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2627114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginnekomiko/pseuds/ginnekomiko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This arc takes place in Kanto seven years before Shion's arc. Everyone is ten. Dragon's Blood is going to focus on Akane and Aoi's quest to find their dad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Professor's Request

**Author's Note:**

> Akane tends to swear.

The Professor had called the four boys and two girls together in his lab.  
  
He said it was important. It was so important that he had to rush everyone out of bed at the crack of dawn.  
  
“Good Morning to all of you,” he said.  
  
All he got in response was a half dozen yawns and one garbled attempt at language.  
  
“The reason why I’ve called you here so early is because I’ve been asked to offer you your very first pokemon.”  
  
That woke everyone up.  
  
“Couldn’t that wait until some normal hour, Professor?” said the redheaded boy.  
  
“Though Akane lacks respect, he has a point. What’s going on, Gramps?”  
  
The old man paused. “There have been reports of an underground crime syndicate that poach people’s pokemon. I was asked by the Elites themselves to choose some under cover trainers to keep an eye on things as they traveled through Kanto. I selected you children because I know you. You will all make excellent trainers.” He eyed the girl with long brown hair and green eyes. “Ai, your uncle asked you to return to the mountains with him after you obtain your pokemon to train with him.”  
  
She nodded. “Very well.” “Now, who shall choose first?” the Professor asked.  
  
“I will,” the brown-haired boy said.  
  
“Aw, no fair, Shigeru! Just because he’s your Grandpa doesn’t mean you automatically get to pick first!” Akane said.  
  
'You have five pokemon to choose from. Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Eevee and Pikachu,” the Professor said.  
  
“But Gramps, there are six of us,” Shigeru said. One of them was going to be left out.  
  
The Professor turned. “Satoko, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for your first pokemon. You can’t start with Satoshi like you wanted.”  
  
Everyone’s eyes shifted to the petite girl with short black hair and red eyes. She clung to her brother’s arm.  
  
“But…” she began.  
  
“I’m sorry, Satoko. I just don’t have another starter pokemon at the moment. I’ll talk to you privately. There’s still something I need you to do. Shigeru, have you decided?”  
  
“I want the Eevee,” he said.  
  
“But that one has no type at all!” Akane said. “You’re going to get your butt kicked!”  
  
Shigeru grinned. “You’re wrong, again, Akane. Eevee can be anything under the right conditions. That’s why I want it.”  
  
Satoko looked down. Everyone in their small town knew that Eevee was her very favorite pokemon.  
  
“Jerk; he made her cry,” Akane muttered.  
  
Shigeru glanced at her. “Satoko, do you want to pet him?”  
  
She looked up and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. “C-Can I?”  
  
Shigeru grinned. “Of course! Here, come sit with me and you can hold him.”  
  
He took her hand. Satoshi’s eyes followed his sister. They did not leave her until she sat down and had the pokemon content in her lap.  
  
“Smooth talker; he calmed her down,” Ai said.  
  
“Freaking Shigeru’s moving in on my girl,” Akane muttered.  
  
“Satoshi, you’re next,” the Professor said.  
  
Satoshi was a very quiet boy; He hardly spoke, but he was by no means weak. He and Shigeru once beat down a group of bullies.  
  
“With those red eyes of his, he looks like a demon when he’s angry,” Akane whispered. Satoshi eyed Akane as he passed him. It was not a happy look. “Crap! I think he heard me. He keeps giving me the death glare!”  
  
“It’s because you called Satoko yours!” the blue-haired boy whispered. “You know he hates that!”  
  
Instead of picking a pokemon outright, Satoshi waited. “Pika!” It was the Pikachu that chose him.  
  
“I see,” said the Professor. “Ai, you're next.”  
  
“Why is Ai next?” Akane demanded.  
  
“Because she’s leaving in a few hours,” the Professor said.  
  
She walked up to the remaining three and picked up the Bulbasaur. She turned to head out the lab door. “Aoi, remember your promise, okay?”  
  
The blue- haired boy smiled and waved. “I haven’t forgotten for six years, I doubt I’ll forget in a few months. I’ll love you forever, Ai!” Ai smiled back.  
  
“Gah, enough with the mush, you sap!” Akane said.  
  
“Now, Aoi,” the Professor said.  
  
“Why him? I’m the older brother!”  
  
“You’re also the loudest,” the old man said.  
  
Aoi chose the Squritle.  
  
Charmander looked down.  
  
“Hey, don’t worry about it little guy! I had my eye on you the whole time!” Akane said.  
  
“You will all begin your travels tomorrow. Ai is going to the Pokemon League. Shigeru and Satoshi; you head to Mt. Moon first. You can pick up your gym badges after you scope out the mountain range. Akane and Aoi,  you will start you journeys as normal.” “And me?” Satoko asked. “Satoko, you’re going to go to the Johto Region.”  
  
“…What?” Satoko whispered.  
  
“But, Gramps, that’s really far away!” Shigeru said. “And she doesn’t even have a pokemon to protect her!”  
  
“You will be sent to Ecruteak City.”  
  
“But…” she began.  
  
“The Kimono Girls who live in there will look after you until it’s safe to return home.”  
  
Satoko looked down. “Why would poachers be dangerous to me? It’s like Shigeru said, I don’t even have any pokemon.”  
  
“What the hell is going on?” Akane muttered.  
  
The Professor didn’t say a word.


	2. Children of Pallet Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Satoko gets dropped off.

Getting one’s first pokemon was supposed to be a joyous occasion, yet everyone in the town was so somber.  
  
Was it because all of its children were leaving?  
  
Something was going on in this town, but what? What would a small town like Pallet need to hide?  
  
Aoi couldn’t guess.  
  
“So you and Satoshi are going to Mt. Moon first?” Akane asked.  
  
Shigeru shook his head. “No. Our first stop is going to be the train station in Saffron.”  
  
 Satoko looked up.  
  
“…You don’t have to do that,” she said.  
  
“Yes we do. It’s not fair that you’re the only one who has to be separated from us, Satoko,” Shigeru said. “We both want to do this. We don’t know when we’ll be allowed to see you again.”  
  
Satoko’s grip tightened on Satoshi’s sleeve.  
  
“It’ll be alright,” she said. “I’m sure the Professor knows what he’s doing.”  
  
The remark caught everyone off guard.  
  
“I want to be stronger, not as a trainer, but as a person. Maybe this will be my chance to grow a little...”  
  
She couldn’t take the weight of her own words. The tears began to fall.  
  
“See what I mean? I can’t even get through a simple goodbye like this without crying!” she said.  
  
“Satoko, do you want to hold Eevee again?” Shigeru asked.  
  
She nodded.  
  
Aoi sighed. This was not a simple goodbye.  
  
Satoshi, Satoko, and Shigeru had all been born in this town. The three of them had grown up together from the very start.   
  
He and Akane had moved to Pallet with their mother in order to start a new life after a particularly painful incident.  
  
After six years, it had become their town, too, but it was not the same.    
  
Satoshi patted Satoko’s head.  
  
“You’ll write to me, won’t you?” she asked.  
  
Satoshi nodded.  
  
“Of course we will!” Shigeru said. He put his arm around Satoshi. “I’ll make sure he calls you, too!”  
  
 “We’ll write too!” Aoi said.  
  
“Satoko, you’re supposed to meet someone at the station, aren’t you?” Akane asked.  
  
She nodded. “Her name is Yuka.”  
  
“Aoi, we’re seeing Satoko off, too. I can’t have my girl go off with some stranger, you know!” Akane said with a grin.  
  
Satoko blushed. She hid her face in Eevee’s coat.  
  
Satoshi glared at Akane. He took Satoko’s hand.  
  
“You’re running your mouth off again, Akane!” Shigeru muttered.  
  
“It’s not like you’ve claimed her, Shigeru,” Akane said.  
  
It was Shigeru’s turn to blush.  
  
“Shigeru, thank you for letting me borrow Eevee, but I can’t hold onto him and do what I want,” Satoko said.  
  
“What do you want, Satoko?” he asked.  
  
“…I want you to hold my other hand.”  
  
“Like when we were little?”  
  
She nodded.  
  
He obliged.  
  
“Alright. Shall we go?”  
  
That was how they all met. Satoshi was on Satoko’s left side and Shigeru was on her right. Both held her hands.  At the time, Aoi thought she was a princess. She seemed just like a living doll.  
  
In some ways, Satoko still was a princess. For the time being, she’d be locked away in a temple.  
  
 Still, he had to admire her. This princess knew her flaws and still wanted to try to become a stronger person.  
It was a long walk to Saffron. It wasn’t like they could fly there.  
  
When they got to the city, a young woman with long dark blue hair was waiting at the train station. She smiled and waved at everyone.  
  
“Satoko!” the woman called.  
  
Aoi saw Satoshi and Shigeru grip her hands tighter.  
  
“Are you Yuka?” Satoko asked.  
  
“Yep! Are these friends of yours?”  
  
Satoko looked down. “…Yes.”  
  
“All boys, huh? You must be very popular!” Yuka said with a grin. “Don’t look so glum, boys! I’m not going to eat her or anything! Actually, I’m from the radio tower in Goldenrod City. The Professor does a pokemon talk show from time to time, and he told me Satoko has a very good voice! I used to be a pop idol myself, so I figured I take Satoko under my wing for a little while.”  
  
“You want me to sing?” Satoko asked.  
  
“Yep! That’s all! Scout’s honor!” Yuka said. “Oh my, I’m still getting some glares!”  
  
“We won’t hand Satoko over to just anyone!” Shigeru said.  
  
“You will hand her over to Yuka, Shigeru,” The Professor’s voice said.  
  
“Hello, Professor!” Yuka said.  
  
“Honestly, it’s like you’re all starting school all over again,” The Professor muttered.  
  
“I think it’s sweet,” Yuka said.  “Satoko, shall we go?”  
  
Satoko let go of the two hands.  
  
“I’m going to go with Miss Yuka,” she said.  
  
Everyone was struck dumb.  
  
“Satoko!” Akane called.  
  
She turned.  
  
“Good luck! We’ll be rooting for you! So make a big splash, you hear? Put Pallet on the map!”  
  
Satoko smiled. “Thanks Akane. I’ll try. Well, bye-bye everyone.”  
  
 She boarded the train.  
  
For a brief moment, Satoshi took after the train after it had begun to move, but upon realizing he’d never catch up to it, he stopped.  
  
Aoi could have sworn he saw tears in those demonic red eyes of his.  
  
Then again, he felt like crying, too, He had since Ai left the laboratory with her Bulbasaur, since finding out that Satoko couldn’t come with them on what was supposed to be their grandest adventure.  
  
“Come on, I brought some pokemon that know fly. We can get home faster that way,” the Professor said.  “Everybody, pick a bird to ride.”  
  
It was a very melancholy fight back home.  
  
Tomorrow, their true journey would begin.


	3. Ashen Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akane and Aoi leave home.

A face darkened by shadows, tall, imposing, he commands respect.  
  
 _Mama met Papa when she was very young._  
  
Same old story, same old shadow.  
  
 _He said he liked my music._  
  
“Akane!”  
  
 _He had a duty he needed to fulfill, but he still loved Mama very much._  
  
Who was calling him?  
  
 _He loved Mama enough to give her you two._  
  
“A-k-a-n-e!”  
  
Akane opened his eyes. “Wassamatter, little bro?”  
  
“Get up! We’re late!” Aoi said as he shoved Akane onto the floor.  
  
“We’re not late.”  
  
“It’s after ten! Satoshi and Shigeru already left!”  
  
“Damn it!” Akane muttered.  
  
“Akane! Don’t be so foul-mouthed so early in the morning~!” a sing song voice warned.  
  
“Tch! Sorry Mom!” Akane called back. “Hey how do you know they left already?”  
  
“They came by our house. They offered to have me go with them, but I said I’d travel with you.”  
  
Akane hugged Aoi. “Such, undying loyalty! I’d expect nothing less from my twin!”  
  
“Well, if I didn’t go with you, you’d likely kill yourself. It’s not like you can cook.”  
  
“True.”  
  
“What were you dreaming about?” Aoi asked.  
  
“Dream?”  
  
Aoi smiled. “It must have been good! I couldn’t wake you for the world.”  
  
“It was nothing.”  
  
Aoi grabbed his hand. “Come on, Momma made waffles!”  
*  
When they got downstairs, their mother was beaming.  
  
  
“I can’t believe my boys are old enough to journey out into the big world with pokemon. It seems like only yesterday we moved here!”  
  
“Momma, will you be lonely without us around?” Aoi asked.  
  
“Momma’s going to take a vacation for a little while.”  
  
“Where are you going to go?”  
  
“I’m going to go home to Hoenn to visit my father.”  
  
“Say hello to Grandpa for me!” Aoi said.  
  
Their mother smiled. She hugged them both.  
  
“Please be safe on your journey. Look out for one another. I’ll miss you both so much. Momma loves you with all her heart. I’m sure Papa wishes you a safe journey, too.”  
  
Akane pulled out of her embrace. “Aoi, let’s go.”  
  
“Alright. Bye, Momma! Have a safe trip to see Grandpa!”  
  
“Later Mom. Tell the old man when I’m strong enough, I’ll challenge him someday.”  
  
“I’m sure he’d like that, Akane.”  
  
“Akane, don’t you want to take one last look at our house?” Aoi said.  
  
“No.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“I just don’t. It’s not like we’ll never be back.”  
  
Aoi paused. “Is it because she mentioned Papa?”  
  
“What of it?”  
  
“Squirtle, use bubble on Akane’s face, please,” Aoi commanded.  
  
“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?” Akane demanded.  
  
“I was trying cool you off,” Aoi said.  
  
“Why you little-!” Akane began.  
  
“Akane~! You’re swearing loud enough for the neighbors to hear~!” Their mother called merrily from the window. “Don’t make me come over there, sweetie~!”  
  
Akane grabbed Aoi’s hand. “Crap, run away!”  
  
Their first steps out of Pallet were hasty ones.


	4. Akane's Secret Weapon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akane and Aoi argue.

“Rock? The first gym type is ROCK?” Akane demanded.  
  
“That’s what the sign says,” Aoi remarked.  
  
“Cheater, cheater, cheater!” Akane declared.  
  
Aoi paused. “How?”  
  
“You took the water type!”  
  
“And?”  
  
“So you’ll have an easy time beating this guy!”  
  
“Don’t start with that. You know that Shigeru and Satoshi started out with a normal type and an electric type, right? They both got their first  
badge.”  
  
“Then let me borrow your Squirtle!”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Aw, come on! Family should share!”  
  
Akane was then water gunned in the face.  
  
“Did you order him to do that?” Akane demanded.  
  
“No.”  
  
“Then scold him!”  
  
Aoi picked up his pokemon. “Akane you can’t just borrow other people’s poekmon when you think you’re going to lose. Raise your own.”  
  
“Fine! I will!” Akane said as he stormed off.  
  
Squirtle looked at Aoi with concern. His trainer smiled.  
  
“Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. He’s always… been like that.”  
  
Aoi sat down on the grass. He pulled out a blue ocarina from his bag. He’d received the instrument as a birthday present from Papa before they moved to Pallet town. He began to play a gentle melody. His Squirtle seemed entranced by it.  
  
“You like it?” Aoi asked. The pokemon nodded. “Papa taught me that song when he gave this to me. It’s the only real memory I have of him, everything else regarding him is blurry. Honestly, what is taking Akane so long? Maybe he’s training.”  
  
“Yo! Aoi, check this out! I got a new pokemon!” Akane said. “One that will surly help me win against Mr. Rock Guy!”  
  
“Really? What did you catch?”  
  
“Come on out, little guy!”  
  
“Karp!”  
  
“….Akane.”  
  
“Isn’t he great?” Akane asked with a big grin.  
  
“Karp!”  
  
Hadn’t they run into a vendor in the pokemon center selling The Most AWESOME Pokemon EVER!!!! ?  
  
“Akane, please tell me you didn’t….” Aoi began.  
  
“He was so worth the 500 bucks! So what water attacks do you know?”  
  
*SPLASH*  
  
“Um, does that even work like an attack?” Akane asked.  
  
“Akane…Magikarp can only use splash until they’re close to evolving,” Aoi said. “Not only that, they bite all the time when you go fishing.”  
  
“Say WHAT? I’ve been conned!”  
  
“I think it’s a good idea for me to hold onto all our funds from now on, okay?” Aoi said as he grabbed the remaining money for Akane’s hand. “Come on, Squirtle!”  
  
“Where are you going?”  
  
“To challenge the gym! I need to find some constructive way to channel my frustration!”  
  
“What have you got to be frustrated about? I’m the guy who got duped!” Akane called.  
  
“Just train your Magikarp, alright?”  
  
“What did I do?” Akane demanded.  
  
He was then water-gunned in the face by Aoi’s Squirtle.  
  
“Karp!”  
  
“It’s not that funny! Seriously, what can you do?”  
  
*SPLASH*


	5. Ring, Ring, Ring! Phone Call!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoi answers the phone.

“That was the hardest battle ever! Good thing I don’t have to worry about bad typing from here on out!” Akane said.  
  
“Just so you know, the next gym has a water type leader,” Aoi said.  
  
“Damn it all!” Akane snapped. After a moment he flinched.  
  
“Momma’s in Hoenn, remember? She can’t hear you.”  
  
 Akane grinned. “Which means I can cuss as much as I want!”  
  
Aoi sighed. He stepped through the doors of the Pokemon Center.  
  
“Are you Aoi and Akane?” the nurse asked.  
  
“Yes?” Aoi answered.  
  
“You have a video phone call,” the nurse said with a smile.  
  
“Oh God! It’s Mom! She heard me swear and now is going to reprimand me! Hide me!” Akane screamed.  
  
“He’s not going to take the call, is he?” the nurse asked.  
  
“Oh for the love of- hello?” Aoi said.  
  
“Hey, Aoi!” a familiar face said.  
  
“Hi, Shigeru! Where are you guys now?”  
  
Aoi waved at Satoshi.  
  
“Near the S.S. Anne. Say, Aoi, have you or Akane listened to the radio recently?”  
  
“Radio? No, why?” Aoi asked.  
  
 Shigeru grinned. “You should listen and find out.”  
  
Aoi paused. “Satoko got on the radio, didn’t she?”  
  
Satoshi nodded eagerly.  
  
“She did!  The song is called ‘Unending Wish.’ It sounds really good!” Shigeru chimed in. “So Where are you two, exactly?”  
  
“Still in Pewter City,” Aoi said sheepishly.  
  
“Did you guys get your first badge yet?”  
  
“Yeah. I got mine a few days ago, Akane just got his today. So how goes the criminal crackdown?”  
  
Shigeru sighed. “Lousy. We ran into some grunts in Mt. Moon, but they scattered before we could really do anything. When you guys pass Mt. Moon, be careful, okay?”  
  
 “We will. Hey Shigeru, do you know has your grandpa given you any more details on why he sent Satoko away?”  
  
“No. He clamps up like a Shellder every time I bring it up. She’s doing okay though; we got a letter from her recently. We’re trying to hurry to Saffron so we can have an excuse to visit her for a bit. It sounds a little lonely there, you know?”  
  
“I’m sure she’d like that.”  
  
“Oh, are either you or Akane thinking of entering the Pokemon League?”  
  
“We’re not sure yet, why?”  
  
“No reason, just curious. The champion’s supposed to be a dragon master, did you know that?”  
  
Aoi paused.  “Dragon…? We’ll see. Akane’s kind of struggling at this whole trainer thing. He bought a Magikarp!”  
  
Shigeru burst out laughing. “Typical! Where is Akane, anyway?”  
  
“He thought you were our mother and promptly decided to head for the hills.”  
  
“I don’t think I want to know the details. We should go. Smell ya later, Aoi!”  
  
Aoi hung up the phone. He smiled. “Smell ya later!” was still the weirdest goodbye he’d ever heard.


	6. Mt. Moon and Youngster Joey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoi and Akane make it to Mt. Moon and run into an annoying kid.

“I don’t know what Shigeru was so worked up about; there’s nothing in here,” Akane said.  
  
“I don’t like this place,” Aoi said.  
  
“I like shorts; they’re comfy and easy to wear!”  
  
“Alright! Who said that weird line about shorts?” Akane demanded.  
  
A young boy with blue eyes and black hair grinned at him sheepishly. He was dressed in a red sweatshirt and grey shorts. He wore a black and yellow baseball cap backwards “Eh-heh! That was me!”  
  
“Did you follow us in here, kid?” Akane asked.  
  
“And if I did? You expect a little kid like me to make my way in this big old scary mountain by myself?   I figured you guys must be strong trainers, so I followed you. You don’t mind, right?”  
  
“I guess not, just don’t profess your love for shorts out loud, okay? It’s kind of strange,” Akane said.  
“What’s your name?” Aoi asked.  
  
“Joey. Do you want to see my Rattata? He’s so awesome! He’s like, in the top percentage of Rattata!”  
Akane rolled his eyes.  
  
“Well talking about Rattatas is better than shorts,” Aoi remarked.  
  
“Oh! Pokeballs! What? You’ve only got two of them?” Joey said.  
  
“Well you see…” Akane began.  
  
“Oh, I know! You only have two because you’re strong, right? Right?”  
  
“Yeah, it’s ‘cause I’m awesome. Charmeleon, come on out and help us light the way,” Akane ordered.  
  
“Wow, an evolved pokemon! Hey! This guy must be even better than you if he’s only got one!” Joey remarked.  
  
“He is not!” Akane protested.  
  
“Akane, did you hear something?” Aoi asked.  
  
“Stop being paranoid, Aoi!” Akane said.  
  
“But I’m sure I heard whistling…”  
  
“Eh-heh, sorry! That was me again!” Joey said.  
  
“Well, well, what do we have here?”  
  
“Who are these weird men in black?” Akane asked.  
  
“Akane, do you think these are members of Team Rocket?” Aoi asked.  
  
“Team Rocket? Oh no! Mister, Mister! I’m scared! Protect me okay?” Joey cried.  
  
“Geez, alright, alright, stay close, Joey.”  
  
“Gee, thanks!” Joey said as he hugged Akane round the middle.  
  
“Hey!” Akane snapped.  
  
“You grunts take care of them okay? Later losers!” Joey said.  
  
“Akane, what’s wrong?”  
  
“That little brat just stole my pokemon!”  
  
Aoi paused. “What? We have to go after him!”  
  
“You’re not going anywhere!” the grunts said.  
  
“Wartortle! Help!”  
  
“Charmeleon, use rage.”  
  
“Akane… don’t….” Aoi began. “Charmeleon’s feeding off of your anger…”  
  
“Don’t interfere, Aoi! They need to pay for this!”  
  
Charmeleon ripped through the grunts’ pokemon with ease.  
  
“Where’s that kid?” Akane demanded.  
  
Aoi grabbed Akane’s arm.  
  
“Akane, you have to calm down! It was just a Magikarp!”  
  
Akane pushed Aoi away.  
  
“Just a Magikarp? That Magikarp was MINE!”  



	7. Resolve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After getting his pokemon stolen, Akane wants to quit.

“Damn it! Where could that kid have gone?” Akane demanded.  
  
“Akane, please, will you stop? He’s gone now. You can’t catch up to him. This mountain is dark and those rockets are scary. I just want to get out of here.”  
  
“You shut up! I know you didn’t like him, but I was going to raise that Magikarp!”  
  
“I never said I didn’t like him. I just thought it was dumb you spent your money like that.”  
  
“I wonder what it’ll be like when he gets released and finds himself in the hands of guys like that? Poor thing, it’s not like he can do much to defend himself. I couldn’t even protect him. I wonder… if I should just give up on trying to be a trainer….”  
  
“It’s your choice, Akane.”  
  
“What would you do?”  
  
“Keep going.”  
  
“But you’re scared to death just being in this mountain.”  
  
“So? There’s something else I want to do.”  
  
“What’s that?”  
  
“I want to find Papa.”  
  
Akane sighed. “Aoi, we’ve been _over_ this. Dad abandoned his family for his job. He’s never coming back home. No amount of begging will change his mind.”  
  
“Shigeru said the champion of this region is a dragon master,” Aoi said.  
  
“So what?”  
  
“Maybe he knows Papa. Papa was from The Dragon Clan.”  
  
“And what if he doesn’t?” Akane snapped.  
  
“The clan is based in Johto. I’ll go there if this master has no leads,” Aoi said calmly.  
  
“That’ll take eight badges. Are you sure you can manage that?”  
  
“I think I can, yes.”  
  
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”  
  
“I am.”  
  
“Why do you even care this much?”  
  
“Because I want to know why. Papa loved us from what I remember. I want to know why he said goodbye and told us to move away. Don’t you want to know that, too?”  
  
“If we do find him, I’m gonna chew him out for what he did to mom.”  
  
“We?” Aoi asked.  
  
“Yeah. You can look for dad all you want, but I want to track the rockets down. For now, let’s get out of this freaking mountain. I’m sick of it.”  
  



	8. A Little Bit Of Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys run into an old man from Hoenn who knew their mother. They finally make it out of Mt. Moon.

“Why’d you stop, Aoi?” Akane asked.  
  
“There’s some old guy digging into the wall of the mountain.”  
  
“Is that even legal?”  
  
“I’m not sure.”  
  
“HEY YOU!” Akane screamed.  
  
“Yes?”  The old man asked.  
  
“Are you lost, sir?” Aoi asked.  
  
“No. I was simply doing a little excavating. Would you accompany me out of this mountain?”  
  
“Maybe…la-,” Akane began.  
  
“Of course!” Aoi said.  
  
“Wonderful! I’m Mr. Stone from Hoenn’s Devon Corp.”  
  
“Our Momma’s visiting Hoenn right now.”  
  
“Is she?”  
  
 “She grew up there.”  
  
“It’s rare for Hoenn natives to move to other regions. What’s her name?”  
  
“Midori.”  
  
“Oh, you’re Midori’s boys? I’d heard she moved to this region.”  
  
“You know our mother?” Akane asked.  
  
“Yes. She came from a rather famous clan of dancers who worship a pokemon called Rayquaza.”  
  
“I never knew that.” Aoi said.  
  
“Oh? She never told you.”  
  
“Momma doesn’t talk about her past much. The only story she ever told us was how she met Papa.”  
  
“How is your old man?”  
  
“Not here,” Akane said.  
  
“I see. I suppose you hate him?”  
  
“Of course I hate him!”  
  
“I suppose that is my fate as well. I have two sons as well, you see.”  
  
“Do you leave them often?”  
  
“I have to. If I don’t, we lose money.”  
  
“I’m sure they hate you.”  
  
“I’m sure they don’t,” Aoi said. “You seem like a good person.”  
  
“I think I’m a little bit of both. My youngest barely knows me.”  
  
“How old is he?”  
  
“Eight. My eldest, is a teenager so he looks after him a lot….”  
  
“Hey, Mister Stone, what kind of pokemon are in your region? Will you tell me, please?”  
  
That was like Aoi. Whenever a conversation got too painful, he turned it into something pleasant. They spent so much time talking about pokemon that it was a surprise to them when they finally reached daylight.


	9. Tall Grass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys take a break. Akane "battles" an Abra.

“Thank you both so much for your help,” Mr. Stone said.  
  
“It was no problem, sir,” Aoi said.  
  
“Ah, there you are, Mr. President!” said the lab assistant.  
  
A strange pokemon was floating beside him.  
  
“What’s that?” Aoi asked. The pokemon floated up to him. “Oh, hello!”  
  
“A Castform. They can control the weather.”  
  
“Like a Dragonair?” Aoi asked.  
  
“Yes. We’re going to use her to study the weather patterns.”  
  
“Neat.”  
  
“If there’s ever anything I can do to repay you both please let me know.”  
  
“We’d like some cas-merp!”  
  
“No reward is needed!” Aoi said. “Come on, Akane! Let’s go pokemon scounting!”  
  
“Why’d you turn down the reward?” Akane asked.  
  
“I was just being kind. I wasn’t expecting anything,” Aoi said. He carried a fishing poll behind him.  
  
“Where’d you get that?”  
  
“I made it.”  
  
“When did you make it?”  
  
“On the mornings when you slept like a log.”  
  
“You’re not going to catch anything with such a crappy homemade rod.”  
  
“Says you.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“What is it, Akane?”  
  
“Nothing. I just thought I saw something move in the grass. I’m going to go check it out. You just keep fishing.”  
  
“If you need my help, just let me know, okay?”  
  
“Like I need help from you younger brother, honestly.”  
  
“I heard that.”  
  
He was staring an Abra in the face.  
  
“Hi!”  
  
Abra teleported away.  
  
“Wait, come back here, you coward!”  
  
The Abra came back. It glared at him. Akane suddenly felt himself being lifted into the air.  
  
“Oh, crap! I forgot these things were psychic types! Aoi! Aoi! AOI! WILL YOU STOP FISHING AND HELP ME!”  
  
Aoi seemed so blissful while he was fishing that he was oblivious to everything around him.  
  
“This is karma for being a pain in the butt, isn’t it?”  
  
A pokeball fell out of his pocket and landed squarely on Abra’s head.  
  
“Score! Thank you universe!” Akane said. “Wait, I’m still in mid-air, aren’t I?”  
  
“Look, Akane! I caught a Staryu!” Aoi said. “What on earth happened to you?”  
  
“Oh yeah? Well I caught an Abra with the help of the universe!”


	10. The Radio Broadcast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys overhear a strange broadcast..

“Way to go Akane!” Aoi said.  
  
Akane grinned. “What, you didn’t think I’d win?”  
  
“Well, she was a water-type trainer.  It was a good thing you trained your Abra so much!”  
  
“You seemed like you were having fun. I can’t believe she gave you a freaking water stone along with a badge.”  
  
It was Aoi’s turn to grin. “That _was_ really nice of her. She said it was because I understood my water pokemon so well!”  
  
 Akane thought for a moment. “I wonder how far Satoshi and Shigeru are now?”  
  
“They could be anywhere from Celadon to Saffron by this point. I wonder if they managed to visit Satoko?”  
  
“Man! We are so far behind them! We started on the same day right?”  
  
“More or less, but we did struggle in Mt. Moon for awhile.”  
  
“Don’t remind me. I wonder how she’s doing all by herself?”  
  
“Isn’t she supposed to have a song on the radio? Let’s see if we can hear it!”  
  
Akane turned on the radio in the pokemon center. “I wonder what station she’d be on?”  
  
“Huh? There’s no sound!”  
  
“Ahem, we are… Team Rocket! After three years of preparation we have risen from the underground! Giovanni! Can you hear us! We found the key! The experiment was a complete success!”  
  
“…Please… Please let me go… I don’t know… what you’re talking about… I’m not a…”  
  
“You be quiet!”    
  
“Satoko?” Aoi gasped.  
  
“Where are they?” Akane demanded.  
  
“Well, there are two radio towers. One’s in Goldenrod in Johto, and the other is in Lavender…”  
  
A loud thump interrupted his thoughts.  
  
“…Who the hell are you?” the voice of the rocket asked.  
  
Someone must have entered the room.  
  
“…Please, help me…” Satoko whimpered.  
  
A crash could be heard in the background. Various voices screamed in agony.  
  
“A DEMON! YOU’RE A DEMON!” the Rocket cried. GIOVANNI! THERE’S ANOTHER ONE! HE’S-”  
  
Static…  
  
And then…  
  
Silence.


	11. Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akane calls Shigeru after that radio broadcast.

“Should I… should I call Shigeru?” Aoi asked after awhile.  
  
“I’ll call him. You’re too freaked out to think straight,” Akane said as he dialed the number.  
  
“Shigeru, what the hell’s going on here?”  
  
“Satoko’s… missing.”  
  
“How could she be missing? We heard that radio broadcast! She was right there!”  
  
“Not anymore.”  
  
Shigeru’s voice seemed unusually distant.  
  
“Hey, are you okay?”  
  
“Of course I’m not okay!” Shigeru snapped. “I knew it was a bad idea to send her off by herself! I knew that, but…”  
  
But he wanted to trust she would be okay. He wanted to trust his grandfather’s judgment.  
  
“Where’s Satoshi?”  
  
“Resting. He went… a little berserk back there…”  
  
“How berserk are we talking?”  
  
“Let’s just say he had that demonic look in his eyes, okay?”  
  
Akane nearly dropped the phone.  
  
“Oh man, could you calm him down?”  
  
"I could for awhile, but I don’t know how I’m going to explain to him that his sister is missing. I’m scared he’ll go into that rage and never come out of it. I’m so sorry, Satoko. I couldn’t do anything to protect you…”  
  
He was a tough talker, but Shigeru really did value his friends. It was strange to see him so close to tears.  
  
“Shigeru, do you have any idea who this Giovanni is?”  
  
“Not a clue.”  
  
“Well did you know the Viridian Gym is under new management by someone who’s named Giovanni?”  
  
Shigeru paused. “Do you think it’s the same person?”  
  
“Possibly. The gym was closed down when we went to check it out.”  
  
“Odd. The gym isn’t supposed to be closed…”  
  
“You guys are in Goldenrod right now, right? Let’s meet up in Celadon and regroup, okay? Shigeru, listen to me, Satoko’s a bit of a crybaby, but I don’t believe she’d just roll over in the face of danger. I believe in her inner strength and you should, too. If you need to snap Satoshi out of his crazy rage phase, I’ll be the one to punch him in the face, okay? You just be sure to hold him back for me.”  
  
“You’ve got guts, Akane.”  
  
“We have to stay strong for her sake, okay?”  
  
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I was blaming myself.”  
  
“Give us a few days to pass through Vermillion and get the badge there. We’ll meet up at the Pokemon Center in Celadon.”  
  
“Right. Goodbye, Akane, and thanks.”  
  
Akane hung up the phone. “You heat that, Aoi?”  
  
“Yeah, I heard. That was really cool, Akane.”  
  
“What are you talking about, I’m always cool!”


	12. Special Delivery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoi comes into possession of some eggs.

“Excuse me, Aoi? There’s a phone call for you,” Nurse Joy said.  
  
“May I ask who’s calling?”  
  
“It’s from a girl named Ai. Do you want me to put you through? It’s long distance.”  
  
“Please do.”  
  
She handed him the phone.  
  
“Hello, Ai! Where are you right now?”  
  
“Goldenrod City. I’m with my uncle and the other Elites right now.”  
  
“Ai, do you know about… Satoko?”  
  
“Of course I do! Those jerks! When I find them they’re in for a world of hurt!”  
  
“Can you stay there for a little while? Akane and I are going to take the train and go over to Goldenrod to meet up with Satoshi and Shigeru.”  
  
“Oh? Well, the champion said he needed to investigate something and my uncle said he wanted to go with him. I’ll ask him if I can stay here and wait for you guys. Guess what? I have presents for you and Akane, assuming you don’t already have six pokemon with you.”  
  
“We don’t.”  
  
“Great! I’ll transfer these.”  
  
Aoi picked up the objects.  
  
“But these are…”  
  
“Eggs. I’m trying to be a breeder, you  know!”  
  
“I know that, but…”  
  
“Just wait till they hatch! I know you’ll love yours! They’re the blue ones!”  
  
“But, I have nothing to give you in return, Ai.”  
  
“Play your ocarina for me.”  
  
“Over the phone?”  
  
“When we meet next, take me out on a date and play it for me,” she said with a smile.  
  
“A date? Okay!”  
  
“See you, Aoi!”  
  
“Bye, Ai.”  
  
Eggs, three of them. He was guessing the green one was for Akane.  
  
“Akane! Come over here!”  
  
“What is it? Woah! Where’d you get those?”  
  
“Ai sent them.”  
  
“She gave you three pokemon eggs.”  
  
“No. She gave me two. The green one is yours.”  
  
“Great. I’m a charity case.”  
  
“I bet it’s a rare egg.”  
  
“She’s only trying to get me to like her because she likes you.”  
  
“Or she could just be nice.”  
  
“I don’t want it.”  
  
“You don’t even know what it is yet!”  
  
“Fine. I’ll hatch it and then decide what to do.”  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
The eggs were surprisingly warm when he held them.  
  
What could they be?


	13. Birth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akane and Aoi's eggs hatch.

Vermilion City seemed like a long way.

Were they slowing the others down by asking them to wait?

What if Satoko was….?

Akane pushed the thought from his mind.

He glanced behind him. Aoi was walking slower because he wanted to make sure his eggs stayed as warm as possible.

He was keeping his own egg in his backpack, but he didn’t need to know that.

What pokemon could Ai have bred for him?

He hoped it wasn’t something cutesy. It’d ruin his mainly image.

Suddenly, Aoi stopped walking. His eggs were glowing. He gently set them down on the ground and waited.

One was a Wooper and the other was a Chinchou.

Aoi’s smile couldn’t have been wider. He pointed his pokedex at them.

“Wow! Ai’s a really amazing breeder!”

“What makes you say that?”

“The Wooper knows how to use earthquake and it ability is water absorb. The Chinchou can use thunderbolt and knows volt absorb. If I train them a bit, I should be able to handle the electric type gym leader without having to catch a Diglett.”

Akane sighed. “She knows you well, I’ll give her that and she totally just saved you from having your butt handed to you by that crazy electric drill sergeant.”

Aoi’s Wooper and Chinchou waddled behind him as they moved forward. “Yeah, that was really lucky. Huh? Akane, your bag is glowing.”

“Glowing?”

When he unzipped his bag, a green gecko with gold eyes was staring him in the face.

His egg was Treecko.

An honest to goodness Treecko.

He’d always wanted one of those, even as a kid.

Stupid Ai, remembering something so trivial like that.

He’d have to thank her when he saw her next.

Still it was neat to have his Treecko cling to his shoulder as he walked around.


	14. Next Stop, Goldenrod City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoi and Akane go to Johto and meet up with the other trainers from Pallet Town.

Aoi glanced out the window of the high speed train. It was strange to put their journey on hold like this. Most trainers did not take detours from their badge quest.

However, Aoi had no interest in the little trinkets. He was mostly worried about Akane. He was the one who wanted to get to the Pokemon League.

Was Akane expecting to find answers there?

Well, he wasn’t going to find them yet.

For now, they were going to Johto. It was for the better, really.

Of course, Akane wasn’t exactly happy that his original plan had been shot down.

He was sulking in the corner.

“Maybe we’ll have better luck in this region? We have half the badges of Kanto now. That should count for something, right?” Aoi said.

Akane sighed. “Yeah. I’m just worried. The others haven’t found anything yet.”

“We _could_ have asked that priestess girl in Lavender Town, but you didn’t want to.”

“I don’t trust psychics. Besides, that girl was creepy. She kept talking about destiny and all that crap.”

Aoi paused. “You don’t believe in destiny?”

 “Not the kind that’s predetermined, no. That’d mean that things like Dad leaving and Satoko being taken to who-knows- where were supposed to happen. I don’t want to resign myself to that kind of thing. A chance encounter sure, but not that. So what do you think, Aoi? Will I have to punch Satoshi or won’t I?”

“If he’s been in that state for this long, I feel sorry for Shigeru,” Aoi said.

“Next stop, Goldenrod Station!”

“That’s us. Come on.”

When they stepped off the platform, the other three trainers from Pallet Town were waiting for them.

“Dude, Shigeru. What’s with the awesome gift basket?” Akane asked. “You shouldn’t have!”

“This isn’t for you! I’m sending it to Grandpa for safe keeping. I don’t want these eggs to hatch just yet,” Shigeru said as he dodged Akane’s attempt to grab it.

“Shigeru, are those eggs all the same?” Aoi asked.

“They are.”

“Who in the world would want four of the exact same pokemon?” Akane asked.

Aoi paused. Those were Eevee eggs. He could tell by the brown and cream coloring of the egg.

“Holy crap! Are those _evolution_ stones? Aren’t those super expensive?” Akane asked.

A water stone and a thunderstone, quite expensive.

There was no doubt about it, that basket was for Satoko.

If they ever found Satoko.

“Satoshi, are you okay?” Aoi asked.

Satoshi didn’t say anything, which was normal, but this was different.

“How long has he been like that?” Aoi whispered.

“Since they took her.”

It wasn’t Akane who ended up punching Satoshi. No it was Ai.

“Stop moping! Do you think you’re the only one who’s lost a sibling to the Rockets? Well, I’ve got news for you! I’ve lost _two_ of them!” Ai snapped.

Aoi knew for a fact that Ai did not like to talk about her sisters.

Satoshi looked her in the eyes then.

“I had twin sisters, did you know that? Shortly after my parents died, they went missing. Some of those thugs kidnapped two toddlers. If I do find them one day, I doubt they’ll remember me.  My Uncle and I’ve been trying for years to find them. So let’s look of our siblings together, okay, Satoshi?” Ai said with a smile.

Satoshi nodded.

“We picked this area because it’s over run with Rockets from the Johto branch,” Shigeru said.

“You know, there were a lot of Rockets around Saffron when we left. I wonder if they’re planning something?” Akane remarked.

“We’d best prepare for the worst,” Shigeru said.

“I’m not worried. I have a Charizard now,” Akane said with a grin. “Grovyle is pretty awesome, too. Thanks, Ai.”

“You’re welcome, Akane.” Ai said.  “What about you, Aoi? Did Wartortle evolve?”

“Yes. He’s a Blastoise now.”

They all went to a nearby restaurant to eat something. It was quite happy, despite everything that had happened recently.

On the radio, they could hear Satoko’s song. The entire table didn’t say a word until it was over.

“Heh, she really _can_ sing, can’t she?” Akane said.

Quiet nods of agreement.

Akane turned around. On the walls behind him there were wanted posters.

So many Rocket members...

“Hey wait a sec! That’s the kid who stole my Magikarp!” Akane exclaimed.

“Wasn’t that kid named Joey? This kid is apparently named Tori,” Aoi remarked.

“People can use fake names, Aoi! I’d know that smug mug anywhere! So he was a Rocket member, huh? I’ll pound that kid!”

“Akane, why don’t you guys come with us we can all search together for the things those people stole from us,” Shigeru said. “Ai, you can stay for awhile, right?”

“Yes. I’m supposed to meet my Uncle and the other Elites at Mt. Silver in a few days.” She glanced at Aoi. “Remember your promise.”

“I do,” Aoi said with a smile.

“It’s settled then,” Shigeru said.“Tomorrow, we search. We should spend the rest of the day preparing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things, this will be the start of the Johto arc which will have three stories in total. Dragon's Blood will continue, but I will also alternate to The Experiment storyline and The Trouble Trio storyline because they're all connected.


End file.
